Before the Great Court Meeting, Meng He came to report that Zhongding Pavilion and Baoyue Building had been renovated, and the chefs were almost trained. They planned to open the restaurant the day after the Great Court Meeting. At that time, there were the most officials in Xianyang, and they could quickly gain a reputation.
After hearing this, I said with a smile: "This girl finally figured it out. Tell her that the date was chosen well. Leave me a private room on the opening day, and I will go and taste how the food is."
Meng He took the order and went.
Ying Lan is full of confidence here. Ever since she tasted the stir-fried vegetables and dough-making food made by Chef Jia, eating her usual meals is just the same as before.
The only concern I have is the pricing I'm asking for. It is no exaggeration to say that a meal at Zhongding Pavilion or a night at Baoyue Tower can cost an average person a month's income!
But after carefully thinking about the dishes cooked by Zhongding Pavilion and the decoration of Baoyue Building, she felt that it was not that expensive...
Three days later, the imperial meeting was over.
Early the next morning, I took Meng Tian, Zhang Liang, Yu He, and Li Si to Zhongding Pavilion. Not long after Zhang Han arrived in Lingnan, he was not allowed to come back from this court meeting. Otherwise, he would have been on the road for the past six months and his body would not be able to bear it.
Zhang Liang was a little surprised when he heard that I was going to take him with me. Needless to say, Yu He and Li Si were both San Gong. Meng Tian was the general of the border army stationed in the north. Zhang Liang was the only one who was just a censor. I didn't understand why he was brought along.
In fact, I considered Zhang Liang's talent. Now he is worthy of my trust. If there is a chance, I naturally hope that he can enter the top level of the court. But I always feel that he is a little distant when he is with me. Maybe it's because he is a Korean noble after all, and he can't forget the pain of destroying his country so easily.
They didn't go together. They all set off separately and met at Zhongding Pavilion, otherwise the goal would be too big.
When I arrived at Zhongding Pavilion, it was already overcrowded. Ying Lan arranged for people to beat gongs and drums at the door to attract guests. However, most people were too scared to go in when they saw the decoration at the door, especially the words hanging in the hall and visible at the door: The Zhongming Pavilion is where the Zhongming Dingshi is!
Ying Lan finally hung up this painting...
Even so, many people still choose to go in and take a look. Zhongming Pavilion is right next to the Great Qin merchant place. Many dignitaries choose to come here to relax. In addition, seeing the unique decoration inside, they are also willing to try it out. For them, money is not an issue and they are willing to spend as much as they want as long as it brings them a sense of freshness.
I walked in wearing a bamboo hat, and Meng He also covered his face with a bamboo hat. There is no way, the person coming must be powerful, and someone must be able to recognize me.
When Ying Lan saw two people in strange costumes coming in, she immediately guessed it was me and quickly stepped forward to take me to the second floor.
Li Si and others have already arrived and are talking with great interest about the various decorations of Zhongming Pavilion.
"Li Xiang, did you see it when you came in just now? The floor is paved with nanmu! The best nanmu! Even the palace is not luxurious enough to pave the floor with nanmu, but the Zhongming Pavilion is actually paved with nanmu?" This was Meng Tian's voice.
"And this stool and table are quite comfortable. It's not even a couch. I only heard that Jiu Zhao once promoted the Hu stool for a while, which is similar to this stool, but lacks the backrest and armrests. Sitting with your feet down is more comfortable than sitting on your knees. More." Yu He's voice.
"Yes, this table is a little higher than the stool. You can put your hands on it and sit up straight. If you write on the table, it is much better than kneeling on the couch and leaning forward to write." A clear voice said, It's Zhang Liang.
I smiled slightly, Ying Lan opened the door, and I stepped in. Meng He stayed outside the door to guard.
"It's nice to hear you talking."
Several people stood up quickly, and just as they were about to salute, I waved my hand, walked to the top and sat down.
"No need to be polite, we are just here to taste delicious food today, don't be formal."
A few people smiled, still cupped their hands, and then sat down.
It was the first time that Zhang Liang sat with these people, and only Li Si had seen him. However, everyone knew that I pardoned Zhang Liang and reused him. Zhang Liang showed no restraint and responded appropriately to the three of them, neither being humble nor overbearing.
I nodded with satisfaction, looked at Zhang Liang and said: "Except for Prime Minister Li, none of you have probably met Zhang Liang. Zhang Liang is now the censor of Jiangnan Road, supervising the development of Jiangnan. Jiangnan has developed well now, and will become even more popular in the future. In the prosperous land of Great Qin, Zhang Liang has a long way to go."
Zhang Liang nodded slightly, bowed his hands and said, "Thank you for Your Majesty's grace. Liang will do his best."
Li Si chuckled and said warmly: "The censor is young and promising, and your majesty has a great talent."
Yu He and Meng Tian echoed a few words.
Not long after, a waiter brought the dishes.
The Qin Dynasty still had a separate meal system. The table was not a table of the Eight Immortals, but a table and chairs for each person. This room is slightly larger, with a table at the top and two tables on the left and right. If it is in the lobby, there are only four small tables surrounding one table, with some rare stones and treasures placed in the middle, somewhat like the layout of a meeting in later generations.
"Come on, try them all. Shang Shifu occasionally makes some stir-fried dishes for me. They taste pretty good."
Compared with the stir-fried dishes of later generations, it is naturally much inferior. It is difficult to get together just the seasonings. Fortunately, the spicy and numbing flavors can be seasoned with Sichuan peppercorns and dogwood seeds, which makes it easy to get by.
There are four dishes on the table.
One is the common stir-fried vegetables, the other is cooked venison stir-fried with seasonings, and the other two are Dongpo beef and stir-fried mutton with green onions. Because pork is too spicy, beef was used instead.
Li Si first noticed the utensils for serving dishes.
"Your Majesty, this porcelain..."
I smiled slightly: "I sold it to Ying Lan. Don't worry, Mr. Li, the money has gone into the treasury. I will not line my own pocket."
Li Si quickly laughed: "I didn't mean that. I didn't expect that Miss Ying Lan used to be His Majesty's right-hand attendant, and now she is also very handy in doing business."
This sentence speaks to my heart. Ying Lan is indeed a rare right-hand man. He grew up with me since childhood, and there is no need to doubt his loyalty. In the future, some businesses may be difficult to rely on Taoyao alone, but if Ying Lan exercises more, he can play a greater role.
"Hahaha, I am very satisfied with Ying Lan. You should take more care of her in the future. Of course, I have no intention of letting you eat here every day."
The four of them nodded and laughed.
Then they started eating. Li Si was the first to take a bite of the shiny Dongpo beef and praised it: "Not bad, not bad. It's smooth and tender in the mouth, and it breaks into pieces when you bite it."
Then he reacted and asked with some suspicion: "Your Majesty, is this...beef?"
"Yes, beef. But don't worry, Mr. Li, I will not violate the laws of Qin and kill the cattle privately. If I didn't tell you that the cattle died of old age, I'm afraid you wouldn't believe it, right?"
At this time, Yu He also took a bite, and there was a bit of surprise on his iceberg-like face.
"Your Majesty said this cow died of old age? Why is it so soft and chewy in the mouth? There is no taste of dry wood at all?"
I smiled mysteriously: "Exclusive secret recipe. As for the origin of the cow, you can go to Xianyang Order to verify it and see if what I said is true."
